Taarini Anand's menswear fuses Indian miniature paintings with handloom khadi denim

Taarini Anand, a designer based in Mumbai, crafts menswear that is deeply influenced by Indian culture and art. Her Spring/Summer 2026 collection features the Manar jacket, a silk chocolate garment adorned with a placket that showcases arching designs inspired by 17th-century Indian miniature art. This jacket is complemented by cream Handloom khadi denim trousers, which are lined in cotton-silk and finished with hand-crocheted lace. After studying at Istituto Marangoni in Milan, Anand returned to India in 2022 to delve into Indian arts. Her inspirations include historical figures like Amrita Sher-Gil (1913–1941) and Raja Ravi Varma (1848–1906), as well as contemporary artists like Hemali Vadalia (born 1984) and Varad Bang's installation, The Weight of Love. Her previous collection drew from the Ajanta and Ellora caves, UNESCO heritage sites in Maharashtra. Hand-knitted items are integral to her brand, developed with her mother and grandmother through techniques such as jacquard and intarsia, with production supported by women knitters from craft clusters in Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Mumbai's Bandra, Dharavi, and Kalbadevi areas. During a show earlier this year, Anand showcased her grandmother knitting on the runway and played recordings of the women who create the garments.